Article of Footwear and Knitted Component Thereof

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear and a knitted component thereof are provided. The article of footwear includes a shoe upper and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper. The shoe upper defines a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto. The shoe upper is formed by the knitted component and includes a plurality of upper regions. The knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions. Each of the plurality of upper regions has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions. The number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention generally relates to an article of footwear and a knitted component thereof. Particularly, the invention relates to an article of footwear which is naturally conformable to the foot and a knitted component thereof.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Generally, shoes are composed of an upper and a sole. The upper is normally in direct contact with the foot of the wearer to provide covering and protection. The sole is fixed to the bottom of the upper to serve as a cushion for the wearer's foot on the ground, thereby reducing the stress on the foot caused by the reaction force. The upper can usually be made of different materials, such as natural leather, synthetic leather, polymer, fabric, etc.; and a knitted upper, because of its excellent permeability and performance in comfort, as well as the advantage of lower manufacturing cost, makes the development of knitted shoes advance very fast.

However, a knitted upper is generally very soft and not easy to maintain in shape. Additional support or additional shaping technology is employed to maintain the shape of the upper. The use of additional support to the knitted upper makes the manufacturing process more complicated, the material cost higher, and the design much limited. The shaping technology usually uses thermoplastic yarn during the knitting of the upper, and due to the hot melt and cold curing characteristics of the thermoplastic yarn; the entire upper is solidified to maintain its shape, making the upper less soft and less comfortable.

SUMMARY

In view of the prior arts, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide an article of footwear and a knitted component thereof, which is formed by knitting regions of two-dimensional structures to form a three-dimensional shoe upper, in which each two-dimensional region uses a different number of stitches according to the stretch ratio desired for such region, so when the two-dimensional knitted component forms the three-dimensional shoe upper, the shoe upper will have a natural three-dimensional configuration, and when the wearer's foot is inserted into the article of footwear made by the knitted component, courses and wales in each region of the shoe upper are substantially orthogonal to each other, promoting the comfort and the manufacturability of the shoes.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides an article of footwear including a shoe upper and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper. The shoe upper defines a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto. The shoe upper is formed by a knitted component and includes a plurality of upper regions. The knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions. Each of the plurality of upper regions has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions. The number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal to each other.

In an embodiment, the stretch ratio is a length ratio of the upper region when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity to its corresponding knitted region.

Moreover, in addition to forming the knitted regions of the knitted component according to the corresponding stretch ratio to promote the comfort of the shoes, the present disclosure can also form the knitted regions according to the yarn characteristics such as elastic modulus, structural strength, wear resistance, etc, to give a natural three-dimensional effect to the knitted shoe upper.

In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides an article of footwear which includes a shoe upper and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper. The shoe upper defines a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto. The sole structure is fixed to the shoe upper, wherein the shoe upper is formed by a knitted component. The knitted component is knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot. The knitted regions include a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot. The at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus substantially larger than other knitted regions.

In an embodiment, the plurality of knitted regions further includes a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region.

In an embodiment, the at least one yarn forming the heel region further includes a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn.

In an embodiment, the plurality of knitted regions includes a shoe opening region and a toe region. The shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity. The toe region corresponds to toes of the foot. The at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region includes a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn. The at least one yarn forming the toe region includes a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn.

The article of footwear of the present disclosure achieves a natural three-dimensional effect by modifying the number of stitches and/or the yarn characteristics in different knitted regions, so that the shoe upper is naturally conformable to the foot to promote the comfort and the manufacturability of the shoes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view of an embodiment of the article of footwear of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a schematic view of an embodiment of the shoe upper of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the knitted component of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3A is a schematic view of an embodiment of the plurality of regions of the knitted component of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3B is a schematic enlarged view of an embodiment of the plurality of regions of the knitted component of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the knitted component of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic views of another embodiment of the article of footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIG. 1A, the article of footwear 1 of the present disclosure includes a shoe upper 10 and a sole structure 20 fixed to the shoe upper 10. The shoe upper 10 defines a shoe cavity 12 for a foot of a wearer to be inserted thereinto. The sole structure 20 is fixed to the bottom of the shoe upper 10. For example, the sole structure 20 may include an insole and an outsole to promote the ground contact stability and the comfort of walking when the wearer's foot inserted into the shoe cavity 12 is in contact with the ground. The shoe upper 10 is formed by a knitted component, such as the knitted component 100 shown in FIG. 2. The shoe upper 10 includes a plurality of upper regions, such as 10 a, 10 b, 10 c. As shown in FIG. 2, the knitted component 100 is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn, and the knitted component 100 includes a plurality of knitted regions, such as 100 a, 100 b, 100 c. The knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c respectively correspond to the plurality of upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c. Each of the plurality of upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c. The number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity 12, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c are substantially orthogonal to each other.

As shown in FIG. 1B, according to the shape of the article of footwear 1, the three-dimensional shoe upper 10 constituted when the foot (such as the last used when manufacturing the shoe or the foot of wearer when wearing the shoe) is inserted into the shoe cavity 12 is divided into the plurality of upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c. The plurality of upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c are generally curved regions in response to the shape of the foot. When the plurality of curved upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c of the three-dimensional shoe upper 10 are projected unto the two-dimensional knitted component 100, the knitted component 100 correspondingly has a plurality of two-dimensional knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c. For each of the knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c, a stretch ratio of the upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c is obtained. In an embodiment, the stretch ratio is a length ratio of the upper region 10 a, 10 b, or 10 c when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity 12 to its corresponding knitted region 100 a, 100 b, or 100 c. For example, the lengths of the upper regions 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c are respectively represented by lines L1, L2, and L3 when the foot is inserted into the cavity 12, and the lengths of the knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, and 100 c are respectively represented by lines L1, L2′, and L3′. Consequently, the stretch ratio of the upper region 10 a to the knitted region 100 a is the length of line L1 divided by the length of line L1 (i.e. L1/L1′); the stretch ratio of the upper region 10 b to the knitted region 100 b is the length of line L2 divided by the length of line L2′ (i.e. L2/L2′); the stretch ratio of the upper region 10 c to the knitted region 100 c is the length of line L3 divided by the length of line L3′ (i.e. L3/L3′).

In other words, critical shaping lines and dimension control lines of the article of footwear 1 serve as feature lines, wherein the feature lines are the lines having a larger stretch ratio, such as lines L1, L2, L3 in the upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c. The feature lines are projected to a two-dimensional knitted component 100 to obtain the corresponding knitted regions 100 a, 10 b, 100 c and its corresponding lines L1, L2′, L3′. Measuring the actual length of the three-dimensional feature lines L1, L2, L3 and comparing the measured lengths with the designed length of the corresponding lines L1′, L2′, L3′ of the two-dimensional knitted component 100, the stretch ratio for each region can be obtained. The knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c are knitted according to its corresponding stretch ratio to form the knitted component 100. Take a knitted region generally having 14 stitches per 1 centimeter (i.e. 14 stitches/cm) as an example, the number of stitches in each of the knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio. That is, the number of stitches in each knitted region 100 a, 100 b, 100 c is the stretch ratio multiplied by 14. For example, the number of stitches in the knitted regions 100 a, 100 b, 100 c is 14*L1/L1′, 14*L2/L2′, 14*L3/L3′, respectively.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in a similar way, the shoe upper 10 can be divided into a plurality of grids in two dimensions and calculated to obtain a knitting design of the two-dimensional knitted component 100 including a plurality of grids (i.e. knitted regions) 101. Accordingly, the knitting design of the two-dimensional knitted component 100 is represented as a distribution of the number of stitches in the plurality of grids 101, i.e. the distribution of stitch density. Specifically, the interpolation method can be employed to obtain the number of stitches in the four corners of each grid 101. Therefore, the knitted regions can be knitted from at least one yarn according to the distribution of stitch density to achieve the knitted component 100, so when the three-dimensional shoe upper 10 formed by the two-dimensional knitted component 100 is fitted on the wearer's foot or the last, the courses and the wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions 10 a, 10 b, 10 c are substantially orthogonal to each other, allowing the shoe upper 10 to have a naturally tensile three-dimensional configuration and naturally conformable to the foot or the last, resulting in improvement of the comfort and the manufacturability of the article of footwear 1. It is noted that “the courses and the wales are substantially orthogonal to each other” refers to that the courses and the wales are orthogonal to each other when visually inspecting the outer appearance. That is, inspected by naked eyes, the courses and the wales are orthogonal to each other.

Moreover, after the number of stitches of the four corners of each grid 101 are calculated as described above, stress-strain calculations for the difference in the number of stitches can be performed to determine which grid has the larger difference in the number of stitches and results in a greater variance in transformation from the two-dimensional configuration to the three-dimensional configuration. Specifically, the difference in the number of stitches in the four corners of each grid can be calculated by the finite element method (i.e. stress-strain calculations) to determine which grid will have a greater variance in transformation from the two-dimensional configuration to the three-dimensional configuration due to the difference in the number of stitches. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the grid 102 has a larger difference in the number of stitches, and therefore, the yarn for forming the grid 102 is preferably an elastic yarn, such as Lycra yarn, to achieve effective deformation, but not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of knitted regions of the knitted component 100 may include an instep region 103, a heel region 104, a shoe opening region 105, a toe region 106, and lateral regions 107. The instep region 103 corresponds to an instep portion of the foot. The heel region 104 corresponds to a heel portion of the foot. The shoe opening region 105 defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity 12 of the shoe upper 10. The toe region 106 corresponds to toes of the foot. The lateral regions 107 correspond to the lateral portions of the foot and include an inside lateral region and an outside lateral region. The inside lateral region corresponds to an inside area of the foot (i.e., the surface that faces toward the other foot), and the outside lateral region corresponds to an outside area of the foot (i.e. the surface that faces away from the other foot).

As shown in FIG. 4, the elastic modulus required for different upper regions can be defined by ergonomic principles to determine the distribution of elastic modulus of the knitted component 100′. Using ergonomic principles, it can be determined which portions of the foot are more likely to be in contact with the shoe upper and those portions would require greater support. When the elastic modulus is greater or the responsive elastic force is greater, the feeling of support will be stronger. Moreover, the elastic modulus of the cloth of the entire knitted component 100′ can be determined by the combination of the elastic modulus of the yarn and the density of the yarn. Using the most ergonomic elastic modulus set for standard cloth, the required elastic modulus of the yarn selected for each knitted region, such as grid 101, can be determined. For example, the elastic modulus calculated for the grids 101 a, 101 b, 101 c, 101 d, 101 e, and 101 f are 10, 0.5, 0.5, 9, and 12, respectively. In an embodiment, a variety of methods, such as using a combination of different yarns, different yam-twisting techniques, or different thickness and materials of yarn, can be employed to allow different elastic modulus for the respective knitted regions. Moreover, in addition to the selection of yarns, the required elastic modulus can be achieved by changing the knitting thickness, and/or the knitting direction. It is noted that when the elastic modulus of the knitted region in a specific direction is higher than other direction, using different yarns in the courses or wales to produce different elastic modulus can achieve the required effect.

In this embodiment, in the vertical direction where the stitch density and the elastic modulus are higher, it is preferred to select thicker or harder yarns or even a rigid yarn without elasticity to provide structural support(such yarns are referred to as structural yarns). In the region of high stitch density and in the vertical direction where elastic modulus is higher, it is preferred to use structural yarns, so these regions will have a better support and can bulge toward a predetermined direction to prevent wrinkles. That is, by allowing different yarn characteristics for different knitted regions, a natural three-dimensional configuration can be achieved.

In other words, in the present disclosure, a natural three-dimensional configuration can be achieved not only by means of using different number of stitches for the corresponding stretch ratios of the knitted regions of the knitted component, but also by means of modifying the yarn characteristics, such as elastic modulus, structural strength, wear resistance, etc. in different knitted regions. As shown in FIG. 5A, the article of footwear 1′ includes a shoe upper 10′ and a sole structure 20 fixed to the shoe upper 10′. The shoe upper 10′ defines a shoe cavity 12 for a foot 2 to be inserted thereinto. In this embodiment, the shoe upper 10′ is formed by a knitted component (such as 100 in FIG. 2). The knitted component 100 is knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions (such as 103-107). The plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot (as described). The at least one yarn forming the heel region 104 and the instep region 103 includes an elastic yarn, so the heel region 104 and the instep region 103 have an elastic modulus substantially larger than other knitted regions. As such, the shoe upper 10′ can obliquely, i.e. from the instep to the heel, and elastically surround the foot 2 to achieve a natural three-dimensional fitting effect.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the elastic yarn preferably extends from the instep region 103 to the lateral region 107. As such, the instep region 103 and the lateral regions 107 (including the inside lateral region and the outside lateral region) constitute an elastic ring region. Together with the elastic heel region 104, the shoe upper 10′ can provide a better support and conformability to the instep portion, the lateral portions, and the heel portion of the foot.

In this embodiment, the at least one yarn forming the heel region 104 preferably further includes a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn. The structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn, so the heel portion 104 not only has elasticity, but also has a higher wear-resistance and a stronger structural strength. The at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region 105 preferably includes a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn, so the shoe opening region 105 has a higher wear-resistance and a greater elasticity. The at least one yarn forming the toe region 106 preferably includes a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn, so the toe region 105 has a higher wear-resistance and a stronger structural strength.

Moreover, in the regions of the knitted component 100 that require stronger structural support, such as the heel region 104 and the toe region 106, a thermoplastic yarn can be locally employed as the structural yarn, so the shoe upper 10′ can locally enhance the support effect while the whole shoe upper 10′ still maintains a considerable flexibility.

Compared to the prior art, the article of footwear and the knitted component thereof of the present disclosure can achieve a natural three-dimensional configuration, promote the comfort and the manufacturability of shoes by modifying the number of stitches in different knitted regions of the knitted component and/or by adopting different yarn characteristics according to the required elasticity for different knitted regions.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein, the above description is merely illustrative. The preferred embodiments disclosed will not limit the scope of the present disclosure. Further modification of the embodiments herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the respective arts and all such modifications are deemed to be within the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A knitted component knitted from at least one yarn to be a two-dimensional structure, the knitted component configured to form a shoe upper comprising a plurality of upper regions and defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto, the knitted component comprising: a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions of the shoe upper, each of the plurality of upper regions having a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions, the number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions being proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.
 2. The knitted component of claim 1, wherein the stretch ratio is a length ratio of the upper region when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity to its corresponding knitted region.
 3. The knitted component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus larger than other knitted regions.
 4. The knitted component of claim 3, wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region.
 5. The knitted component of claim 3, wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn.
 6. The knitted component of claim 1, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region; the shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity; the toe region corresponds to toes of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn; the at least one yarn forming the toe region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn.
 7. A knitted component knitted from at least one yarn, the knitted component configured to form a shoe upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto, the knitted component comprising: a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot, the knitted regions comprising a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot, the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprising an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus substantially larger than other knitted regions.
 8. The knitted component of claim 7, wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region.
 9. The knitted component of claim 7, wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn.
 10. The knitted component of claim 7, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region; the shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity; the toe region corresponds to toes of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn; the at least one yarn forming the toe region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn.
 11. An article of footwear, comprising: a shoe upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto; and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper, wherein the shoe upper is formed by a knitted component and comprises a plurality of upper regions; the knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and comprises a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions; each of the plurality of upper regions has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions; the number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.
 12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the stretch ratio is a length ratio of the upper region when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity to its corresponding knitted region.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus larger than other knitted regions.
 14. The article of footwear of claim 13, wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region.
 15. An article of footwear, comprising: a shoe upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto; and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper, wherein the shoe upper is formed by a knitted component; the knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and comprises a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot; the knitted regions comprises a heel region and an instep region respectively corresponding to a heel portion and an instep portion of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region comprises an elastic yarn, so the heel region and the instep region have an elastic modulus substantially larger than other knitted regions.
 16. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a lateral region corresponding to a lateral portion of the foot; the elastic yarn extends from the instep region to the lateral region.
 17. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn; the structural yarn is relatively thicker or harder than the elastic yarn.
 18. The article of footwear of claim 15, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region; the shoe opening region defines a shoe opening for allowing the foot to enter the shoe cavity; the toe region corresponds to toes of the foot; the at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and an elastic yarn; the at least one yarn forming the toe region comprises a wear-resistant yarn and a structural yarn. 